Container sealing structure



May 8, 1962 H. w. FORRER CONTAINER SEALING STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1, 1959 FlG.l

INVENTOR. HOMER W-FORRER Wm/(22? 7 W ATTORNEY May 8, 1962 H. w. FORRER CONTAINER SEALING STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 1, 1959 FIG-3 INVEN TOR. HOMER w. FORRER ATTORNE May 8, 1962 H. w. FORRER 3 3,033,435

CONTAINER SEALING STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 1, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. HOMER w.FORRER AT TORNE'Y United States Patent Oflice 3,033,435 Patented May 8, 1962 3,033,435 CONTAINER SEALING STRUCTURE Homer W. Forrer, East Point, Ga., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Mead Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 856,509 Claims. (Cl. 229-7) This invention relates to container sealing structure and more particularly to sealing structure for liquid containers of the consumer type which structure is arranged to form a spout whereby the container contents may be easily poured from the container.

Known sealing structure for containers in one form comprises a slot along the upper part of the container wall and an overlying sealing tape which is either removed entirely or torn in part from its container sealing relation with the slot when the container contents are to be poured through the slot. Such structure naturally presents mechanical problems in the process of applying the sealing tape to the container.

Another type of known sealing structure for containers utilizes a sealing membrane which is glued or heat sealed to the open top of the container and which is thereafter covered by a separate flanged cover placed over the sealing membrane and secured to the container in known manner. Such arrangements are costly and largely ineffective to protect against contamination once the seal is broken.

Still another form of sealing structure which is presently known utilizes a closure panel which is heat sealed to the container side Wall and which incorporates a sheet of suitable metal foil between a part of the closure panel and the container side walls. Since the foil is not heat scalable, a spout is formed adjacent the foil. In this type of structure reliance is placed on sealing tape or on the inherent fight of the container structure and its closure panel to maintain the container in a sealed condition. Obviously such structures do not afford a high degree of protection for the container contents against contamination because of the imperfect seal or because the contents must be poured out over the very part of the spout with which the sealing tape is normally atfixed when the container is sealed thus exposing the container contents to whatever substance is used to secure the sealing tape to the container side wall.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved container sealing structure which is relatively simple to form as a mechanical operation.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of container sealing structure which inherently atfords a maximum degree of protection against contamination of the container contents.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a sealing structure for consumer type containers which is especially adapted to maintain a degree of protection for the container contents after the seal is broken initially.

The invention in one form as applied to a consumer type of container made of paperboard treated with suitable heat sealable material comprises a closure panel to which a sealing sheet of metal foil is laminated by suitable rubberized or other sealing material, a slot formed in the closure panel but not in the foil, and means for securing the closure panel and the foil to the container sidewall in such a way that the foil is disposed between the closure panel and the sidewall and so that a proper application of external pressure is effective to rupture the foil in the region of the slot thereby to allow the closure panel and foil to move relative to the container sidewall and thus to form a sanitary pouring spout.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken 2 in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a consumer type carton embodying the invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the closure panel utilized to form the closing structure for the top of the container depicted in FIG. 1, a blank being shown in solid lines and, for the purpose of indicating the nested relation of one blank to another, a similar blank is shown in dotted lines; FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the blank in nested relation with a different orientation from that depicted in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a plan view of a blank used to form the container bot- J torn; FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blank from which the sidewalls of the container structure are formed; FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line designated 6-6 in FIG. 1; FIG. 7 is a plan view of the carbon depicted in FIG. 1 but with parts broken away and in section generally as viewed along the line designated 7-7 in FIG. 1 and in which FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the top closure panel, the view being taken along the line designated '88 in FIG. 2.

With reference to FIG. 1 the numeral 1 generally designates the container sidewall while the numeral 2 generally designates the container bottom. The closure structure for the top of the container is generally designated in FIG. 1 by the numeral 3. A pouring spout is generally designated in FIG. 1 by the numeral 4.

As is best shown in FIG. 5 the container sidewall structure generally designated by the numeral 1 comprises panels 5, 6, 7 and 8 each of which constitutes a sidewall of the container together with a lap panel 9' which is secured in known fashion to the structure of panel 5 adjacent the edge 10 thereof. Each of the sidewalls 5-8 inclusive is tapered, i.e. each panel is wider at its bottom edge than at its top edge. This arrangement facilitates stacking of one container on top of another as will be readily apparent. The inner surface of the panel generally designated by the numeral 1 is coated with suitable heat scalable liquid impervious material such for example as polyethylene.

The blank for the bottom structure generally designated by the numeral 2 is depicted in plan in FIG. 4 and comprises a center portion 11 about which side flanges 12, 13, 14 and 15 are formed. Preferably the flanges 12-15 inclusive are double flanges, i.e., each flange is formed of two parts such for example as is designated at 16 and 17 in connection with panel 12, the flange panels 16 and 17 being adjoined by a fold line 18. Thus as is well understood in the art, an edge of a side panel such as the bottom edge of panel 8, for example, would be enveloped by flange panels 16 and 17 with flange panel 17 being disposed along the inner surface of the bottom edge of the side wall and the flange panel 16 disposed along the outer edge thereof. Stated otherwise the main panel 11 is recessed. Each corner of the bottom panel 2 is provided with suitable web structure designated 12A, 13A, 14A and 15A to aid in sealing the carton at its corners. These corner webs do not completely fill the corners defined by the flanges 12-15 but rather are of such size as to constitute a sealing mass which is forced in compact form into the corners. Ordinarily, a heat seal affixes the panel 2 to the bottom edges of the carton side walls.

According to the invention and as depicted in FIG. 8 the top panel generally designated by the numeral 3 com prises a base sheet designated by the numeral 19 which preferably is made of paperboard, and a sealing sheet 20 which may be metal foil and which is laminated to the paperboard sheet 19. Ordinarily the sealing sheet 20 covers the entire blank as depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. Along the side of sheet 19 opposite to the sealing sheet may be of any plastic type material as desired.

spas,

The blank depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3 constitutes the closure panel of the invention and it comprises a main panel 22 which is adjoined with the flanges 23, 24, 25 and 26. These flanges are respectively secured to the main panel along fold lines 27, 28, 29 and 30, respectively. An opening or slot 31 is formed in panels 25 and 26 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This opening 31 in the form of a slot defines the pouring spout as is clearly shown in FIG. 1. Top panel '32 is adjoined with flange 26 along fold line 30. Webs 24A, 25A and 26A are formed at three of the corners and like the bottom panel corner webs are compacted into a corner sealing mass when the carton top is secured to the side walls.

Assuming that the views depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3 are taken from the top, that is with the foil underneath the paperboard blank, the closure 3 is placed over the tubular structure constituting side walls 5, 6, 7 and 8. When so arranged flange 23 is secured to the outer portion of the top edge of panel 6 and the flange 24 is secured to the outer part of the upper surface of panel Flange 25 is secured to side 8 and flange 26 is secured to side 7. Top panel designated in FIG. 2 by the numeral 32 is then folded along the fold line 30 so that the fold line 30 lies adjacent the top edge of side panel 7 and the main body of top panel 32 overlies the main panel 22 of the top closure panel 3. When thus arranged the score line 33 coincides with the score line 34. These score lines 33 and 34 are for the purpose of enabling the pouring spout 4 to be folded upwardly to its open position as depicted in FIG. 1. The small end panel 35 overlaps the carton and extends downwardly along the upper part of the side 6 as is depicted in FIG. 7.

In accordance with a feature of the invention the sealing sheet 20 preferably is of suitable aluminum construction and is secured to the paperboard 19 by cement such for example as suitable non-solubie rubberized sealing compound. In similar fashion the foil 20 may be secured about the upper edges of the sidewalls.

Thus the arrangement described above is peculiarly adapted to forming a seal for a consumer type container. In order to break the seal it is simply necessary to apply suitable pressure to the area indicated by the letter X or by the letter Y or both as indicated in FIG. 1. Such pressure ruptures the sealing sheet 2t) in the region of the slot 31 and thereafter the spout 4 can be elevated to the position depicted in FIG. 1. When so elevated the pouring surface designated in FIG. 1 by the numerals 7A and 8A is completely free of the slot opening 31 and therefore the contents may be poured freely without cont-amination. ruptured since the foil is securely aflixed to the sidewalls about the entire periphery of the sidewalls. Of course the seal between the foil and the sidewalls 7 and 8 is extended through the area designated X and Y in FIG. 1 but there is no seal between the sealing sheet and that part of walls 7 and 8 above the slot 31.

An inspection of FIGS. 2 and 3 readily indicates that the blanks from which the closure panel 3 is formed are adapted to nesting in two different orientations. Thus a degree of adaptability is made possible resulting in minimum waste of material.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention I do not wish to be limited thereto and intend in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Container sealing structure comprising a container panel, a closure flange, an opening formed in said closure flange, and a sealing sheet of metal foil interposed between said container panel and closure flange and overlying said opening in said closure flange, said sealing sheet being laminated to said closure panel over substantially the Furthermore the seal is secure before being ass entire area thereof and being secured to said container panel in a region thereof on one side of said opening but being free of said container panel on the opposite side of said opening, the free part of said sealing sheet and the associated part of said closure flange being movable relative to said container panel upon rupture of said sealing sheet in the region of said opening.

2. A closure for the end of a container having a side wall, said closure comprising a main panel, a flange formed along an edge of said main panel, a slot formed in said flange and in spaced parallel relation to the junction of said main panel and flange, and a sealing sheet interposed between the container side wall and said flange, said sheet being affixed to substantially the entire area of said flange and to the container side wall in the region of said slot but only on the side of said slot remote from said main panel.

3. A closure for the end of a container having a plurality of side walls defining a tubular structure, said closure comprising a main panel configured to conform with the cross section of said tubular structure, a plurality of flanges disposed along each edge of said main panel and secured thereto, a sealing sheet laminated to said main panel and to said flanges, an opening formed in at least one of said flanges, and sealing means securing said sealing sheet on said flanges to the adjacent container side wall, said sealing means being ineffective to secure that part of said one flange to the adjacent side wall along the edge thereof between said main panel and said opening so that said edge of the side wall may constitute a pouring surface spaced somewhat from said opening when said sealing sheet is ruptured and when a part of said main panel adjacent said opening is forced outwardly.

4. A closure for the end of a container having a plurality of side Walls defining a tubular structure, said closure comprising a main panel configured to conform with the cross section of said tubular structure, a plurality of flanges disposed along each edge of said main panel and secured thereto, a sealing sheet laminated to said main panel and to said flanges, an opening formed in at least one of said flanges, sealing means securing said sealing sheet on said flanges to the adjacent container side wall, said sealing means being ineffective to secure that part of said one flange to the adjacent side wall along the edge thereof between said main panel and said opening so that said edge of the side wall may constitute a pouring surface spaced somewhat from said opening when said sealing sheet is ruptured and when a part of said main panel adjacent said opening is forced outwardly, and a small web formed at the ends of said flanges and adjacent at least some of the corners of said main panel and constituting a sealing mass for each such corner.

5. A generally L-shaped blank for a container closure comprising a main panel of rectangular configuration and having a score line extending between two adjacent edges thereof, flanges foldably joined to said main panel along all but one of said two edges thereof, a depending flange panel foldably joined to and forming a continuation of the other of said two adjacent edges, a continuous pouring slot formed in said depending flange and in said flange to which said depending flange is foldably joined, a top panel portion foldably joined to said flange panel, a score line formed in said top panel and arranged to coincide with the score in said top panel when said flanges are folded into normal relation to said main panel and when said top panel is folded into flat face contacting relation to said main panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,434,756 Brooks J an. 20, 1948 2,578,244 Harrison Dec. 11, 1951 2,802,613 Boyd Aug. 13, 1957 

